An early strawberry season delights consumers, but growers must keep an eye on this spring’s fickle weather to protect their delicate and valuable crop.
“The strawberry crop has come into production two weeks earlier than normal,” said Wayne Porter, a Mississippi State University Extension Service agent in Lauderdale County who specializes in horticulture. “All of the rain has caused a lot of additional disease problems. Anthracnose can always be a problem, but with the constant rainfall, it is more prevalent. It puts a spot on the fruit and makes it unusable, because consumers want perfect berries.”

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